Electromagnetic switching device, especially contractor, with a contact bridge support lock

ABSTRACT

An electromagnetic switching device, especially a contactor, includes a base, an arc chamber removable from the base, a contact bridge support and a spring-loaded locking element. The contact bridge support projects into the arc chamber and can be displaced in a direction of actuation. The contact bridge support can be locked by the locking element when the arc chamber is taken off. The locking element is configured as a lever that is swiveled about a swiveling axis which extends in perpendicular to the direction of actuation.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/DE01/00830 which has an Internationalfiling date of Mar. 5, 2001, which designated the United States ofAmerica and which claims priority on German Patent Application number DE100 13 319.3 filed Mar. 17, 2000, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an electromagnetic switchingdevice. In particular, it relates to a contactor, having a lower part,an arcing chamber which can be removed from the lower part, a contactlink support and a spring-loaded blocking element, in which the contactlink support is held in the lower part, projects into the arcing chamberand can be moved in an operating direction, in which the contact linksupport can be locked by using the blocking element when the arcingchamber is removed, in which the blocking element is held in the lowerpart and is in the form of a lever which can pivot about a pivotingaxis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A switching device is known, for example, from DE 43 41 330 C1. Theknown switching device already operates quite well, but the blockingelement requires a relatively large amount of space.

A similar electromagnetic switching device is known from DE 34 02 836A1. In this switching device, the blocking element is mounted in thecontact link support.

An electromagnetic switching device is known from DE 195 47 011 C1, inwhich the contact link support can be locked in its connected positionby use of a lever which can pivot, in which case the lever can pivotabout a pivoting axis which runs at right angles to the operatingdirection of the contact link support.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to furtherdevelop a switching device which is more compact. An object may beachieved by using a pivoting axis which runs at right angles to theoperating direction. If the pivoting element is guided in a bush bearingduring pivoting, for example, the blocking element bearing may beparticularly simple.

If the blocking element is held in a captive manner in the lower part,the switching device may be particularly reliable in operation. Thecaptive retention can be provided, for example, by the blocking elementand the lower part having latching elements which interact in order tohold the blocking element in the lower part, in which case at least oneof the latching elements can be deflected in a sprung manner in thedirection of the pivoting axis.

If the blocking element interacts with the contact link support in alocking region, and has a ramp incline in the locking region, thecontact link support can be configured as required without there beingany risk of it undesirably remaining stuck in position before reachingthe locked position.

If the blocking element is manually accessible and can be operatedmanually when the arcing chamber is removed, it is particularly simpleto test the switching device for correct operation.

The test is even simpler if, apart from the blocking element, theswitching device has no further blocking element for locking the contactlink support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and details can be found in the following descriptionand drawings of an exemplary embodiment. In this case, illustrated inoutline form, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a contactor,

FIG. 2 shows a detail from FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a blocking element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, a contactor, as an example of an electromagneticswitching device, has a base 1 and an arcing chamber 2. As is indicatedby an arrow A in FIG. 1, the arcing chamber 2 can be removed from thebase 1.

A drive coil 3 is arranged in the base 1. When a switching current isapplied to the drive coil 3, a contact link support 4 is moved in anoperating direction x. The contact link support 4 is mounted in the base1, and projects into the arc chamber 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the contactor furthermore has a locking element 5,which is spring-loaded by use of a spring 6. As shown in FIG. 2, thespring 6 is in the form of a compression spring. However, in principle,the spring 6 could also be in the form of a tension spring or rotaryspring, for example.

When the arcing chamber 2 is removed, the contact link support 4 can belocked with the contactor in the disconnected position, by use of thelocking element 5. For this purpose, the locking element 5 interactswith the contact link support 4 in a locking region 7. The lockingregion 7 is in the form of a hook and has a ramp incline 8 at its lowerend. The hook-shaped locking region 7 of the locking element 5 engagesin a corresponding mating contour 9 on the contact link support 4, thuslocking the contact link support 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the locking element 5 is in the form of a leverwhich can pivot about a pivoting axis 10. The pivoting axis 10 in thiscase runs at right angles to the operating direction x and has asemicircular bearing point 11, which can be mounted in a correspondingbearing bush in the base 1. The locking element 5 is thus guided in abush bearing 11 during pivoting. As shown in FIG. 3, the locking element5 also has a latching element 12. The latching element 12 can bedeflected in a sprung manner in the direction of the pivoting axis 10.The latching element 12 interacts with a further latching element, whichis arranged in the base 1. The further latching element may, but neednot necessarily, be capable of being deflected in a sprung manner in thedirection of the pivoting axis 10. The interaction of the latchingelements 12 results in the locking element 5 being held in a captivemanner in the base 1.

The latching element 12 also has a ramp incline 13. The locking element5 can thus be inserted in the base 1simply by pushing it into the base1in the insertion direction y.

The process of fitting the arcing chamber 2 to the base 1 necessarilyand automatically results in the contact link support 4 being unlocked.As is indicated schematically by a finger 14 in FIG. 2, the lockingelement 5 is, however, also manually accessible and can be operatedmanually when the arcing chamber 2 is removed. It is thus possible tounlock the contact link support 4 when the arcing chamber 2 has beenremoved, and then to test the contactor for correct operation. The rampincline 8 ensures that, when the contact link support 4 is moved back tothe disconnected position of the contactor, it is impossible for thecontact link support 4 to be hooked to the locking element 5 beforereaching the disconnected position.

In principle, it is possible to provide a number of locking elements 5(in particular arranged in symmetrically distributed manner). However,in particular, the test becomes especially simple once the arcingchamber 2 has been removed if the contactor has only a single lockingelement 5, that is to say it has no further locking element for lockingthe contact link support 4.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electromagnetic switching device, comprising:an arcing chamber, removable from a base; a contact link support; and aspring-loaded locking element, held in the base, including a lever whichcan pivot about a pivoting axis, wherein the contact link support isheld in the base, projects into the arcing chamber and is movable in anoperating direction, wherein the spring-loaded locking element locks thecontact link support when the arcing chamber is removed, and wherein thepivoting axis runs at right angles to the operating direction.
 2. Theswitching device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking element isguided in a bush bearing during pivoting.
 3. The switching device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the locking element is held in a captivemanner in the base.
 4. The switching device as claimed in claim 3,wherein the locking element and the base include latching elements whichinteract in order to hold the blocking element in the base, and whereinat least one of the latching elements is deflectable in a sprung mannerin the direction of the pivoting axis.
 5. The switching device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the locking element interacts with thecontact link support in a locking region, and wherein the lockingelement includes a ramp incline in the locking region.
 6. The switchingdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the arcing chamber isremoved, the locking element is manually accessible and is manuallyoperatable.
 7. The switching device as claimed in claim 1, wherein,apart from the locking element, the switching device includes no otherlocking element for locking the contact link support.
 8. Theelectromagnetic switching device of claim 1, wherein the electromagneticswitching device is a contactor.
 9. The switching device as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the locking element is held in a captive manner in thebase.
 10. The switching device as claimed in claim 9, wherein thelocking element and the base include latching elements which interact inorder to hold the locking element in the base, and wherein at least oneof the latching elements is deflectable in a sprung manner in thedirection of the pivoting axis.
 11. The switching device as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the locking element interacts with the contact linksupport in a locking region, and wherein the locking element includes aramp incline in the locking region.
 12. The switching device as claimedin claim 2, wherein, when the arcing chamber is removed, the lockingelement is manually accessible and is manually operatable.
 13. Theswitching device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, apart from the lockingelement, the switching device includes no other locking element forlocking the contact link support.
 14. The switching device as claimed inclaim 3, wherein the locking element interacts with the contact linksupport in a locking region, and wherein the locking element includes aramp incline in the locking region.
 15. The switching device as claimedin claim 3, wherein, when the arcing chamber is removed, the lockingelement is manually accessible and is manually operatable.
 16. Theswitching device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, apart from the lockingelement, the switching device includes no other locking element forlocking the contact link support.
 17. The switching device as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the locking element interacts with the contact linksupport in a locking region, and wherein the locking element includes aramp incline in the locking region.
 18. The switching device as claimedin claim 4, wherein, when the arcing chamber is removed, the lockingelement is manually accessible and is manually operatable.
 19. Theswitching device as claimed in claim 4, wherein, apart from the lockingelement, the switching device includes no other locking element forlocking the contact link support.
 20. An electromagnetic switchingdevice, comprising: an arcing chamber, removable from a base; a support,held in the base and adapted to project into the chamber, wherein thesupport is movable in an operating direction; and a locking element,including a lever which can pivot about a pivoting axis, adapted to lockthe support when the arcing chamber is removed from the base, whereinthe pivoting axis runs at right angles to the operating direction.